SmartWitness, recently acquired by Sensata Technologies, is bringing modular flexibility to video telematics with the new KP2 dashcam, a compact road-facing camera with a snap-on driver-facing option enabling commercial fleets to add driver-facing video at any time with no wiring changes, no added installation cost and no downtime, the company says. The KP2 includes a choice of real-time ADAS (Automatic Driver Assist System) and DSM (driver state monitoring) features for accident prevention, plus cloud-based AI event analysis software that eliminates hours of time wasted in reviewing false alerts of risky driving behavior.
The KP2’s modular design provides an easy upgrade path for fleets that want front-view video documentation in the event of an accident but are not yet ready to record driver behavior inside the cab. The camera can be purchased as a road-facing solution with or without driver-facing functionality. The 1×1-in. snap-on driver-facing module can be added in seconds, eliminating the time and expense of adding a separate camera or replacing the entire system.
The KP2 can be installed in as little as 15 minutes by either a fleet technician or a professional installer, saving hours of deployment and associated costs. The base unit attaches to a windshield-mounted bracket, uses a mobile app and auto-calibration for setup and configuration, and connects to the vehicle’s OBDII port. (A version with a J-1939 connection for heavy-duty trucks will be released later this year.) The driver-facing module can be added with plug-and-play ease. If repair or replacement is required, the entire device detaches from the bracket with no need to remove wiring from the initial installation or rewire the new or repaired unit.
The KP2 offers a choice of real-time ADAS collision avoidance and DSM in-cab behavior detection features to help avert accidents. ADAS options include real-time tailgating, forward collision, solid lane departure and pedestrian presence alerts, while DSM capabilities available with the driver-facing camera include fatigue, distraction and phone use. Real-time alert notifications are delivered in a choice of natural voice, audio beeps or chimes.
Every KP2 deployment includes SmartWitness’ cloud-based Artificial Intelligence Driving Events (AIDE) software, which reduces erroneous reports of poor driving behavior up to tenfold by applying a wide range of contextual factors to video captured by system cameras. This decrease in false positives limits the number of events requiring manual review by fleet managers and also reduces conflict with drivers unfairly flagged for safety violations.
The SmartWitness KP2 is a 4G/LTE camera that records HD (1080p) video at 30 FPS per channel with a 140-degree forward-facing and 130-degree driver-facing field of vision, contains a 64GB SD card upgradable to 128 GB storage, and measures 126-by-82-by-64mm, including the driver-facing camera.
